Deere + Company

Allan K Lawrence

Merlyn D Bass

Jerry L Krafka

Robert D Black

A forage harvester cutterhead of the type having a rotatable member carrying circumferentially spaced cutting knives. Each knife is beat such that a leading cutting portion is directed radially inwardly of its trailing portion and ahead of its knife support so as to provide better cutting power efficiency and more clearance for its mounting means. The bent knife configuration allows a thinner knife edge to be used and provides improved quality and uniformity in cut crop material. The thinner knife cuts through mat of material with less force and less disturbance to uncut material resulting in fewer long particles pulled from mat and much fewer long cob particles. Corn cobs are not dislodged from mat due to lower cutting force and hence are sliced up neatly.

Cutterhead for forage harvesters and the like

Harvested crop material is fed to the cylindrical cutter-head of a forage harvester by a feeding assembly consisting of opposed pairs of upper and lower feed rolls. The articulated upper roll assembly floats to accommodate variations in the flow of crop material. The downstream upper feed roll is carried on a pair of opposite radius arms which are rigidly coupled by a transverse leveler shaft, providing a stable frame and minimizing cocking or twisting of the roll. A second pair of feed roll arms is pivotally connected to the radius arms and extends forward to support the upstream feed roll which is journaled on a shaft rigidly connected between the feed roll arms. A stop and biasing arrangement provides that each upper roll may float independently, the articulation of the feed roll assembly being such that upward movement of either roll or the rolls together is subject to the restoring force of a tension spring. However, upward movement of the upstream roll in relation to the downstream roll is restricted by a stop which limits rotational movement between the feed roll arms and the radius arms supporting the rolls.

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Ottumwa, IA, United States of America

Allan K Lawrence